The Secret World: The Modern Setting

SBFord

The Secret World is one of the new breed of MMOs taking place in the modern world as opposed to the high fantasy "medieval-ish" worlds of many others. In The Secret World Weekly #2, MMORPG.com Lead Writer Bill Murphy takes a look at the game's modern setting. Check it out!

There’s bound to be a lot of talk about The Secret World’s Lovecraft-ian story, it’s classless system and so forth. That’s as it should be, really. But something I feel deserves a little more discussion is the notion that TSW is going to be set in our own modern-day Earth. Can you think of a single AAA MMO release where the setting hasn’t been either in a medieval (or quasi-thereof) setting or a far-flung futuristic one? Tabula Rasa, Fallen Earth, and Auto Assault I suppose came kind of close to a modern-setting as the basis of their lore, but the gameplay in each was set on either other planets or in the post-apocalyptic future. The Secret World is aiming to do something unique: make the game set today, but in a today where all the myths and legends we’ve grown up with really are true.

Read more of Bill Murphy's The Secret World Weekly #2: The Modern Setting.

Sovrath

what do I hope gets in? an incredibly customizable character generator so that I can create 12 year old "me".

 

With a shotgun.

And cool jeans. And Converse sneakers.

Other than that, point me at the zombies and giant walking calamari, I'm ready.

djazzy

I think the modern setting such as what this game is doing would be the hardest to pull off. The simple reason why is because we all know about it, we have been to these places, and no matter how well they can try to recreate it in a virtual world it will still pale in comparison the real thing.

Talthanys

Originally posted by arenasb

I think the modern setting such as what this game is doing would be the hardest to pull off. The simple reason why is because we all know about it, we have been to these places, and no matter how well they can try to recreate it in a virtual world it will still pale in comparison the real thing.

Or it could be that the familair setting actually enhances the lovecraftian feeling they want to evoke. The corruption/destruction of things we hold for granted in our everyday lives, I think, can serve to heighten the sense of terror and malignance.

astoria

I hope they include some of the major cities in the world. Tokyo, Seóul, Mexico City, New York City, Mumbai, etc. esp. notable neighborhoods from those cities since the entire towns would be too massive for a game.

I hope they don't make it too realistic where classes are ridiculously imbalanced, i.e. by the luck of character creation one toon starts with a full house full of gear and money and another starts with one goat.

Amana

Originally posted by arenasb

I think the modern setting such as what this game is doing would be the hardest to pull off. The simple reason why is because we all know about it, we have been to these places, and no matter how well they can try to recreate it in a virtual world it will still pale in comparison the real thing.

The people at Rockstar did a great job of capturing even outer borough areas of NYC for Liberty City in GTA IV.  One example.

Korithian

  I think the modern setting is an amazing setting for any MMO whether its the secret world or World of Darkness. It allows for the use of 4000 years of real world history to be used along with literature and affairs. It adds to the world without needing a writting team to spend years coming up with back story full of strange names or a very one dimensional culture.

 

  So I think the real world modern setting will make the game instantly more appealing where folk tales and lore become real and we move away from elves and dwarves or aliens and robots. So I think this could really appeal and offer a new take on the MMO.

yorkforce

The fact that this is set in a modern era is the number 1 reason why im looking forward to it. I dont quite understand the authors worries about it not being an 'escape from reality' as its as far from reality as any other game out there. In all after years of fantasy and sci-fi settings it will be an 'escape from 'those other mmo's'' for me personally and couldnt have come sooner!

 

PS: Is that a screenshot or a photo of the church? cos if its a screenshot ill be upgrading my pc, it looks great!

Sovrath

To me there is something novel about being in a familiar situation that is "not" familiar.

Whether or player has been in Rome, Maine, or the Andes, I'm pretty sure none of us has battled demons and cultists in these familiar locales.

pretty sure.

alkarionlog

Originally posted by astoria

I hope they include some of the major cities in the world. Tokyo, Seóul, Mexico City, New York City, Mumbai, etc. esp. notable neighborhoods from those cities since the entire towns would be too massive for a game.

I hope they don't make it too realistic where classes are ridiculously imbalanced, i.e. by the luck of character creation one toon starts with a full house full of gear and money and another starts with one goat.

 

main citys we are sure will have is london(templars), seoul(dragons), new york(iluminati)

 

we are still waiting for more info, the enemy list is nice though XD and I think the way this game plays is not like a destruction of the world but more something happening in the shadows, you know like that random rummors and urban legands we heard here and there sometimes, so like the whole world don't know what happens btw the 3 factions and how they work in the shadows

ZoeMcCloskey

I just know I am ready to sign up today if it comes out today

Evasia

No more elfs orcs dwarfs in a tolkien settings bring it on:)

Im looking forward to game thats completely different and it seems TSW is such game.

Yuui

A small note - its not set in "our world", its set in alternate universe similar to ours, similar way on how Longest Journey games were set in universe with a world similar to ours.

 

TSW has a lot of known places, locations, events, however at the same time, due to various events, history has progressed differently in TSW world. London is entirelly different apart from having certain landmarks still there. It was covered in one of previous interviews.

 

It seems like it will be like that certain scene in new DR.WHO series, where characters visited alternate universe - you step outside, you seeold good familiar landscape, buildings and then suddenly zeppelins in the sky

 

 

Thats exactly what makes the modern setting work, iMO. Its the similar, but not same. Its still not every day casual world. Its our world that is different.

mukin

Modern setting: great.  Illuminati: wicked.  Giant squid: umm...squishtastic.  But can't they add at least ONE elf?  Pleeeeeease?

Sovrath

Originally posted by mukin

Modern setting: great.  Illuminati: wicked.  Giant squid: umm...squishtastic.  But can't they add at least ONE elf?  Pleeeeeease?

They could actually add Faeries/Pookums, Banshee, etc from the stories.

They be messed up.

spookydom

I imagine these hubs to work out like what they did in Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines. Smaller areas with a styalised look rather than big sprawling Gta V citys.

dragonbrand

Really looking forward to this game. I am excited about how the "real" world will be portrayed. I think it makes a great setting and exciting as well to be able to travel in-game to places I ahve been IRL.

wfSeg

This could be a fun way for the devs to poke fun at modern society. "Oh look, that corpse over there is still holding on to his iPad." "Guess the fart app didn't stop the monster from chewing his head off."

Elikal

Originally posted by Sovrath

what do I hope gets in? an incredibly customizable character generator so that I can create 12 year old "me".

 

With a shotgun.

And cool jeans. And Converse sneakers.

Other than that, point me at the zombies and giant walking calamari, I'm ready.

Haha, funny idea. But why a 12 year old me? ^^

 

Personally, in these sort of games I always wish I could side with Cthulhu, the same as in Rift I wanted to side with the Elemental Dragons and wipe out the plight that is Humanity.

 

But... I have to wait for 2012 to do that, muahahaha. XD

 

EDIT: Ya know, I just wish they'd add my own home city, Berlin, to the locations. I'd LOVE to be in some surreal, apocalyptic setting of my hometown. Would have loved to visit it in Fallout, for instance. But at least I am mildly familiar with London. Great city btw.

EDIT2: Pokemon, Sovrath? COOL, I want to catch the monsters in small pokeballs and toss them out in battles! How cool would THAT be. "Hah, that's nothing. Look I have this Great Cthulhu, Pokedex 666, in my pocket, you want and see!" Oh wait it was Pookums. ... What the heck is a Pookum? Pokemon in Idaho?

MMO.Maverick

Originally posted by alkarionlog

 we are still waiting for more info, the enemy list is nice though XD and I think the way this game plays is not like a destruction of the world but more something happening in the shadows, you know like that random rummors and urban legands we heard here and there sometimes, so like the whole world don't know what happens btw the 3 factions and how they work in the shadows

List of monsters here

 

Originally posted by yorkforce

PS: Is that a screenshot or a photo of the church? cos if its a screenshot ill be upgrading my pc, it looks great!

It's a screenshot, yes. If you can play AoC on your PC, then you'll probably be able to play TSW as well.

 

I think the setting is genious, you have all the lore and background of the world already there: everyone has an instant connection and overall impression of most of the locations without having to explain anything, templars, illuminati, all the legends and myths and folklore tales to be able to pick from - TSW has with its setting and theme a world that's instantly richer and more complex than any MMORPG where the whole lore and worldsetting has to be created from scratch or from the few, less detailed books from a writer.

Plus for those who're familiar with works from Lovecraft or Stephen King will also pick up on that vibe in TSW.

 

I don't share the worry of the OP that it's too close to home to cater to escapism, after all Vampire the Masquerade, Resident Evil, Left 4 Dead, Supernatural, the X-Files, and most of the horror movies also all take place in modern times and our world.

As for TSW taking place in an alternate reality, I don't know if that's true, I think just like with Supernatural, Left 4 Dead and the X-Files, the world in TSW is supposed to be our world, but then one where things like all those legends and horror stories have been happening. In fact, there will be Investigation Missions for which you're encouraged to google and use real world resources of information to be able to solve them.

S00S00

In the Far future they Could make Secret World 2, set in a much earlier time - when these things [Werewolves, Vampires etc]  were first suspected to exist, and then continuing to the present day via expansions over a number of years. Now That would be Amazing.

But in the meantime I am watching this with excitement building with each bit of info!

 

Maybe we will not have + anything to Stamina on clothes, possibly it will have to be via a potion, or no extra stamina at all, could be a sort of char setup they had in AC [not sure if AC still has the same char setup] , guess we will just have to wait and see!  This is sooooooooooooo EXCITING!!

nomss

I'm not a fan of real world setting ><

I like fantasy setting.

S00S00

But this is Fantasy, just in a Real World Setting.

I say   "Don't knock it till u try it"

just1opinion

Originally posted by mukin

Modern setting: great.  Illuminati: wicked.  Giant squid: umm...squishtastic.  But can't they add at least ONE elf?  Pleeeeeease?

 

Bite your tongue.

 

OR if you HAVE to have "one"....let him be some evil tooth fairy from the nightmares of my youth or something.  Killing an elf always feels so good.  Yes, that is what years of WoW did to me. I used to like elves...now I hate them.

 

Oh, and on topic:

I love the setting. Ragnar is brilliant. I'm not even a LITTLE worried about the setting, immersion, or the story.

LadyAlyse

Hmmm...this will take some thought.  I have had some pretty weird dreams in my life time and this seems like it could feel similar, but with an element of control.  To a degree anyway.  In that sense, I think I would enjoy it.  I like the idea of being in the 'real world' with imaginary or mythical creatures co-existing.  Some should be friendlies.   

I play MMOs to escape the real  world.  This sounds different enough to be able to that.     

MMO.Maverick

Originally posted by just1opinion

Originally posted by mukin

Modern setting: great.  Illuminati: wicked.  Giant squid: umm...squishtastic.  But can't they add at least ONE elf?  Pleeeeeease?

 OR if you HAVE to have "one"....let him be some evil tooth fairy from the nightmares of my youth or something.  Killing an elf always feels so good.  Yes, that is what years of WoW did to me. I used to like elves...now I hate them.

 

Fairies have been spotted, but so far only as local citizenry of the social hub of secret London